Backwards Cheesemaking

Today started early and ended late.  Stacia and I can no longer write blogs that represent both our days because we are now trained and thus working independently.  Stacia had a busy day too-filled with interviews, cooking, and furniture rearranging.  I made cheese backwards.  This started with cleaning the cheesery (As I type, Stacia is reading, giggling, and clarifying that 'WE cleaned the cheesery together today). Touche. Our lives still overlap quite a bit, you lovely thing.

Cheesemaking backwards.  First, you clean the cheesery.  Then, you mix and package cheese. Finally, you finish with milking the goats.  (Stacia is chiming in that I also thawed the goat cheese prior to mixing.) Yes, a very important detail. (Stacia says, "It is because usually you would freeze it after a while, but instead you did the opposite.")  Stacia show is over. If it continued it would sounds like, "Ah-hahaha....hahaha...gahahaha. Uh...Uh..haha...hahaha....baby...(leg kick)."

Anways, back to backwards cheesemaking. So much to say...I caught up on my Rachel Maddow and This American Life podcasts during cheese mixing.  The best part was the milking though.  It was my first solo milking endeavor and the goats have never behaved so beautifully.  No hiccups.  I was very thankful.  The number one moment on the highlight reel was Blackie.  She is a goat we don't know very well because she doesn't get milked (she didn't have kids last year...but she will this year).  Anyways, she has been stirring things up getting into conflicts with the two 'matriarchs', Gwenyth and Paula.  But I have also had my eye on her because I think she is very smart and mischievous.  For a few weeks now, I have suspected that she was the open able to open the gates out of the pen, if not double locked.  Tonight I had my proof!

Before milking, we need to separate the does and doelings.  The does need to be corralled to a back pen in preparation for the two-by-two march to the milk stand.  Sometimes it is difficult to get them in the same place, but tonight was particularly easy...and partly for reasons you wouldn't think.  Blackie was one of the first goats to the designated area, but everytime I went to go corral another set of goat to join, Blackie would open the latch on the gate.  At first, I was frazzled because she was going to let the goats out (this has happened before...).  However, the timing worked out perfectly.  Blackie was pretty much the door attendant, opening the gate as I got closer.  It is like making a new friend.

The night ended with homemade chicken noodle soup and biscuits at 10pm.  Thanks, Stacia.

We are also sitting on our new, smoke-free couch...with pillows instead of cushions.

Love,
Kenz

P.S. Paula has been successfully bred with Cappelli.  Without us there. Hypothesis stands true again. 

cooking.

goating.